More than 3.8 million tons of citrus peels go to waste each year. Besides being used to make a refreshing Sangria or grated into a zest and delicately placed into a flavorful key lime pie, citrus peels are primarily looked at it with annoyance. Until now.
Earlier this month, a group of Spanish researchers developed a process to treat wastewater containing heavy metals and organic compounds, using a new absorbent material made from the peels of fruits such as oranges and grapefruits.
According to a report by WaterOnline, the researchers used a technique known as “controlled pressure drop treatment” to modify the structure of the peels. The treatment made them more porous and increased their surface areas. The peels are then chemically treated, adding functional groups to the materials, thus making it selective in order to remove metals and organic pollutants present in wastewater.[1]
In a statement from the University of Granada, one of the three research groups involved in the process, researchers claim the study shows that “it is possible to pack those new materials in fixed bed columns, in a way similar to standard wastewater treatments.”[2]
“The results show a great potential in competing with commercial activated carbon for adsorbing and recovering metals present in wastewater,” said the Luis Alberto Romero Cano, one of the team’s leading researchers.[3]
Prior studies have shown that a wide variety of fruit and vegetable peels, including apple, banana, and tomato peels, can be useful for water purification.
In a statement from the National University of Singapore, a leading country in water recycling and innovative treatment technologies, found that “tomato peels can remove water contamination, including dissolved organic and inorganic chemicals, dyes, and can be used in large-scale treatment operations.”[4]
The team plans to continue their research and expand the number and variety of pollutants the citrus peels are exposed to in the treatment process. In an era where sustainability is at the forefront of both the processor and the consumer, this citrus laden concept is one to keep watch over, or better yet, save your peels.
[1] Jerome, Sara. Researchers Claim Orange Peels Can Treat Wastewater. Water Online, March 28, 2017. Web. https://www.wateronline.com/doc/researchers-claim-orange-peels-can-treat-wastewater-0001
[2] Jerome. Researchers Claim Orange Peels Can Treat Wastewater. https://www.wateronline.com/doc/researchers-claim-orange-peels-can-treat-wastewater-0001
[3] Public Release. Wastewater Cleaned Thanks to a New Adsorbent Material Made from Fruit Peels. EurekaAlert, March 23, 2017. Web. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/uog-wct032317.php
[4] Jerome. Researchers Claim Orange Peels Can Treat Wastewater. https://www.wateronline.com/doc/researchers-claim-orange-peels-can-treat-wastewater-0001
Picture Reference: Mark Bonica Flickr Page
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